Where Did We Go Wrong
by RainReignRain
Summary: Present day Springfield. Otalia.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Where Did We Go Wrong

**Author:** RainReignRain

**Pairing:** Otalia

**Summary:** Present day Springfield.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyright materials referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and non-for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in fictional context, and are not to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**Author's Note:** Assuming "One Year Later" meant 2010 it's been four years since we last saw Olivia and Natalia.

* * *

It was a clear, cool spring day. The birds weren't chirping and the flowers lacked a little luster. There was a string trio plucking away at an unrecognizable hymn. Former residents of Springfield, some of which hadn't been seen in years, huddled with the current ones around Marah Lewis's casket. Marah had returned to Springfield a mere six months before.

Father Ray was going on about the fragility of life and the importance of keeping her memory alive. Marina Cooper sobbed and across the coffin Lizzie Spaulding rolled her eyes, she wasn't a fan of Marina as of late. Sam Spencer was visibly shaken and dabbed at his eyes often. Shayne Lewis stood at the back of the crowd, observing. Cassie Winslow stood weeping next to a stoic Reva Shayne, she seemed unfazed by the burial. Josh stood parallel to Reva with his eyes closed, his hands clasped in front of him.

"She was a strong and beautiful young woman that will be missed very dearly." Father Ray concluded. Natalia took her bag from Emma, sniffled and pulled another tissue from it. Emma put her arm around her mother's shoulder.

It was customary at Springfield Cemetery to do the burying after the guests have left the premises. Perhaps to avoid any emotional outbursts that the staff were often told horror stories of. After some chatting among the attendees they slowly trickled out of the cemetery and made their way to the farmhouse for a gathering afterwards.

Natalia and Emma walked to their car. Emma tried to get in but Natalia had yet to unlock the car, she walked over to her mother's side. She followed Natalia's vacant gaze to the two people murmuring to each other at the foot of Marah's casket. Olivia took Josh's hand in her own and leaned her head onto his shoulder. He thumbed the flower in his hand before setting it on the wreath in front of him.

"Mom."

"Yeah?"

"Why do you watch her like that?"

"Who?" Natalia asked, as if suddenly joining the present conversation. She turned towards Emma.

"Olivia."

Natalia nudged Emma with her elbow. "I told you to stop calling her that. She's your mother, be respectful."

Emma frowned and dug the toe of her show into the grass. "Why do you still look at Mom like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're together."

Natalia saw the resentment and pain in Emma's eyes and looked away. It had been getting harder for her to face Emma's questions. She turned back in time to see Josh and Olivia walking towards their car hand in hand. Natalia had a single thought in mind, one she had batted around for nearly a year: how did we get here?

She turned back to the car and unlocked it. "C'mon let's go home."

"I was hoping we could go to the gathering at the farmhouse." Emma said as she plopped into the car.

"Really? Why?" Natalia asked, she didn't know if she had the nerve to visit the farmhouse and be faced with every memory she ever made there. And she hadn't known Marah very well, she didn't think it would be appropriate.

"Dad's gonna be there and I haven't really seen him since Beth got sick."

Natalia hesitated a moment. How was she supposed to say no to her daughters request to see Phillip?

"Okay, we'll go."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Bold indicates a thought. Italic indicates a memory.**

* * *

The driveway was littered with half of Springfield's vehicles.

Walking up the grass and onto the porch was like marching off to battle for Natalia. Every inch of her home, or what used to be her home, sent her into a tailspin of self-admonishment. She couldn't glance at the shutters on the windows or the screen door without thinking "Oh god, what have you done?"

Emma opened the screen, clearly lost in her own thoughts as well. There were lots of familiar faces, some of which knew the most recent events of Natalia's life and how awkward it was that she had just walked in with Olivia's estranged daughter by her side. Some looked on with pity, some with disdain. Natalia had lost track of which neighbors hated her. All of the scowls and friendly smiles began to bleed together a few months prior.

Emma quickly found her father and left Natalia to blend in with the wallpaper; which, she noticed, was different. In fact, the furniture was different as well. Along with the paintings on the wall and even the stair's railing. Everything was new and dark. Much more modern than Natalia would've ever decorated the house. Not that she ever would have, she didn't understand the idea of redecorating. Her things were fine the way they were and she thought it was a huge waste of money. Why fix something if it isn't broken? But the more she thought about it the more everything seemed very very broken.

From where she stood Natalia could see Frank and Blake quietly arguing in the kitchen. At the table Phillip, Lillian, and Emma chatted, they adored Emma which made Natalia relax some. Seeing her children happy gave her peace even if the world around her was falling to pieces. Dinah was telling a story to a tense Marina and her brother Bill. Lizzie was nursing her large glass of wine while Mallet spoke to her without minding her disinterest. Over by Marah's portrait Reva stood between Sam and Johnathan, none of which were speaking. Billy, Vanessa, Buzz, and Rick had made their way outside. Natalia could see Doris and Ashlee walking up the driveway. "Where is she?" Natalia thought to herself.

Someone tapped Natalia on the shoulder, she turned, startled. Josh stood over her calmly.

"Hello, thank you for coming."

Natalia gave him a sad smile.

"To the service I mean, not here. Here too but I don't mean to claim your home. Er- Olivia's. I guess. Anyway, thank you for coming." Josh turned to leave out of mild embarrassment just as Natalia began to speak.

"You're a good man," Josh pivoted back towards her, "thank you for not making this uncomfortable. I'm so sorry for your loss." Natalia placed a comforting hand on his forearm for a moment then made a beeline for the back door.

Outside was much less bleak. She hadn't been aware until she walked outside that she was short of breath. Natalia had struggled with anxiety throughout her entire adult life, but she couldn't remember a time when it'd been so intense for such a sustained period. Natalia took a few deep breaths, trying to gather herself. She shut her eyes and was taken back to just hours before.

_Natalia riffled through her purse for a tissue while an attractive couple took their place across Marah's casket. The service had yet to begin. She found the tissue and looked up as Olivia and Josh bowed their heads to pray. Natalia's purse slipped from her fingers, landed with a thud, and rolled once down the slope she stood on. Reva turned to see what had just hit her heels. She looked down at the purse and back up to Natalia, she glared at her then turned back around. Natalia's eyes were fixed on Olivia. __**She let her hair get so long. She looks thin. That suit looks beautiful on her.**_

_Emma picked up Natalia's bag and held it for her. Since Natalia had last seen Olivia she had lost ten pounds, lightened her now long hair, and seemed to have a rigid air about her. Olivia lifted her head and stared distantly at the flowers on Marah's coffin. Natalia studied the way Olivia's eyebrows moved as her eyes darted from flower to flower. She watched Olivia intently as Father Ray began speaking. It was as if she were experiencing Olivia for the first time._

She hadn't seen Olivia in a year.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank your for the reviews! It keeps me writing (:**

* * *

Natalia relaxed. She never stopped thinking of Olivia in the year since they last saw each other. She just got good at pushing those thoughts into her periphery. In order to make it through her days she had to force thoughts of her failed relationship into a box labeled "Later." Later usually came at night when Emma and Francesca were sound asleep. It was hardest on the rare occasions when both girls were with their fathers and she had the suite to herself.

She had expected to see Olivia and have some sort of rush of courage, she would sit her down and make her listen to what she had to say about everything that had happened. What she didn't expect was to be paralyzed with fear and regret, but that's what happened.

There was a creak behind Natalia. She turned in time to see Olivia's profile as she opened the back door and entered into the house. Natalia fought the urge to follow her.

* * *

Olivia never liked funerals or anything that came with them. The first funeral she'd went to was her grandfather's, she was small at the time but she knew then that she'd never be comfortable at one. At her mother's funeral she was so overcome with guilt and shame, pregnant with Ava at the time, she walked out of the church while the priest was speaking. Despite her discomfort with funerals she had volunteered the farmhouse for the gathering because Josh had been overwhelmed with funeral preparations and Reva didn't return any of his calls or messages. She was trying to be helpful in offering, and was, but it brought her more stress than she cared for. Securing the food, alcohol, and renting the tables and chairs for the front yard had been a pain but all of the moody people in her house made it too much to be inside.

She sat on a patio chair, gazing at her expansive back yard. It was so empty. There were a few discarded toys near her from Francesca's last visit, but no people to fill it with laughter or long strolls. She heard Emma giggle from inside, she'd know the sound anywhere. Like a movie playing in front of her she remembered a summer day years before when Rafe tried to teach Emma how to do one handed push-ups in the grass. It was a day when Olivia was home, in between trips out of town. Natalia cooed at Francesca as Olivia reveled in hearing her daughter laugh with her big brother. She began to feel nauseous with sadness.

Someone walked out the back door as she was reminiscing. **Natalia.** The brunette stood diagonal to where Olivia sat. She was breathing deeply and didn't seem to be aware of Olivia's presence at all. Olivia observed her for a moment. She had cut her hair, it sat just above her shoulders. Olivia couldn't see her face but she could sense that Natalia was worn, maybe even defeated. This was the closest she'd been to Natalia in what felt like a lifetime. Olivia could smell the rose water Natalia used in her hair. She shook her head. **No. Don't feel bad for her.** She rose to her feet, the chair creaked, and she slipped inside, trying not to draw Natalia's attention.

She made her way through the kitchen, faltering when she heard Lillian advise Emma to say hello to her mother and Emma reply with a "No thanks." She continued into the living room as Sam grabbed himself another beer. He reached out and gently stopped her before she could reach the front door.

"Aren't you too old to be storming out of important family events?"

Olivia gave him a look of warning, to which he raised his hands in surrender and calmly led her outside. He faced Olivia, and waited for an answer.

"I wasn't storming. And those people aren't my family." Olivia crossed her arms as she finished.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh please. This whole town is a family. A weird, incestuous little family."

"I can't do this with you, Sam. Please." She tried to move past him.

"Sit down."

"Sam, no." Olivia barked.

"You don't have a choice big sis. Sit down," he said with a smug smile.

Olivia imagined walking away from Sam and having him cause a scene in order to get her to comply. She knew he didn't care if people started to stare, he was never afraid of attention. She typically didn't care about things like that either, but she'd been on attention overload recently and couldn't take anymore. So she sat on a rented chair that had a thick layer of dust on it. Olivia made a mental note to complain when she returned them. Sam pulled out his phone, typed a few words out and slipped it back into his jacket pocket. He sat next to her and balanced his beer on his knee.

"You're going to tell me what's been going on."

"I can't. Really, I would love to, but I just can't right now." Olivia looked away. In the distance Buzz told his table a joke. She could see the halfhearted smiles on everyone's faces.

"Why?" Olivia stayed quiet, still avoiding eye contact with Sam. "I'm waiting."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows. The screen door opened and Johnathan walked out with a double shot of tequila in his left hand and two beers in his right hand. Olivia wondered if that was all for him. He carefully made his way to Olivia and Sam. He handed the shot to Olivia and sat himself on the cement in front of them. Olivia sighed.

"You invited Johnathan to help you harass me until I tell you all of my problems?" It came out meaner than she meant it to. She knew they meant well.

"C'mon. Don't be like that." Johnathan said.

She looked at her brother, then to her nephew. She hadn't talked to anyone about how her relationship with Natalia ended. There were people in town that knew bits and pieces of what happened, but no one knew everything. Part of her was too embarrassed to tell the boys about it, another part was tired of carrying it around with her. Tired of protecting Natalia.

She tapped the glass with her index finger and swallowed the giant shot with ease. Johnathan handed her one of the beers which she took gratefully.

"Where should I start?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews! You can follow me at .com. Let me know what you think.

* * *

After just missing Olivia, Natalia sat in the same patio chair and decided to let her have her space. She had hoped that a year apart would have been enough space for Olivia but that didn't appear to be the reality. **I just have to be patient.** She waited ten minutes before going inside to allow Olivia time to leave or do whatever she had to do. When she entered the kitchen again Frank and Blake's argument seemed to have subsided, they were chatting with other guests, but she didn't chance going over to talk to them. The last thing she needed was for Olivia to still be in the house and to see her chit chatting with Blake.

She decided to visit the powder room to assess the state of herself. It had already been a long day and it wasn't yet noon. When she got to the top of the stairs she saw Reva waiting, Natalia smiled politely at her. Reva raised an eyebrow at her and turned her back to Natalia. She stood quietly, racking her brain for a reason as to why Reva would be upset with her. Remy walked out of the restroom just then. "Ladies." Both women mumbled a greeting in response. Reva closed the door behind her and Natalia continued to search her memory. **Did I agree to babysit Collin and not get back to her? No. I haven't even seen her recently. **She couldn't for the life of her think she did to make Reva angry at her.

Reva opened the door and before she could walk past her Natalia asked, "Did I do something to upset you?"

Reva scoffed. "Excuse me." And with that Reva pushed past Natalia and walked back downstairs. Natalia stood, perplexed for a moment, and then entered the restroom. **I shouldn't take it personally. Her daughter just died. She's going through a lot. God bless her.**

* * *

Sam and Johnathan shared a look. Sam had come home a month earlier from a trip to India, Olivia gave him Emma's room to stay in. He couldn't miss the fact that she slept in the guest room now. Sam had tried to ask her how everything had changed so drastically but she consistently avoided his questions. Johnathan had a similar experience when trying to talk about anything beyond the weather with Olivia. He was worried. They had decided to try and talk to her together. It occurred to Johnathan at that moment that the day of a funeral might not be the best time to have her spill her guts. Sam began, gently.

"Well, I haven't seen Emma around here since I've been back. What's happening there?"

Olivia winced and took a big swig of her beer. "She doesn't want to see me."

"Why?" Johnathan asked.

"Because I won't tell her why Natalia and I split up." She paused. "And she thinks that because I won't tell her I was the one at fault. She thinks I'm responsible for breaking up her family."

"Why haven't you told Emma why you two broke up?" Sam asked. Olivia took a bigger sip of her drink. She started to feel warm. Words escaped her.

"Why did you break up?" Johnathan asked. He knew the answer, his mother had told him in a fit of anger. However, he hadn't told Sam, it wasn't his place to tell Olivia's secrets. Olivia bit down hard on her bottom lip. She debated telling them the truth. The only person she had told was Ava, and that was only out of necessity. Sam placed his hand on Olivia's knee and gave her a small smile. It reminded her of when they were young and he would put his little boy hand on her knee and try to cheer her up.

She had loved having her brother home, and she knew she'd waited long enough. He deserved answers for being so patient with her.

"She kissed another woman." Olivia's voice quivered as she said it. She gripped her beer tighter and clenched her teeth to keep from crying. Sam dropped his head and sighed. The three were silent for a minute. Johnathan picked at the label on his drink. Sam looked up and said, "I'll kill her." Olivia half chuckled, half gasped because she had been holding her breath. She cupped Sam's face in her hand and mimed a kiss at him.

"Why don't you just tell Emma the truth?" Johnathan asked.

Olivia shrugged slowly and shook her head slightly. Her hair fell around her face some. "She adores Natalia. She always has. I can't take that away from her. This way she thinks she has at least one mother she can completely count on."

"Well where does that leave you?" Sam asked.

Olivia looked at him from behind her light brown bangs and shrugged again.

"Do you and Natalia get along now?"

"We haven't spoken." Olivia said it shortly.

"In how long?" Jonathan prodded.

Olivia sighed and crossed her legs. "Since she moved out. So about a year. Give or take a couple of months."

"But you share children, I don't understand. How do you interact when you drop off the kids? What do you think that means to them? Don't you remember what our parents not talking to each other did to us?" Sam asked in rapid succession.

Olivia looked at him for a moment and then downed the rest of her beer in two large gulps. She stood up abruptly. "Okay, story time is over." She stepped over Johnathan's crossed legs and walked over to the screen door. They looked at her with something close to pity and it made her skin itch. She was so sick of people looking at her like that. Olivia moved inside and decided to go upstairs.

* * *

On her way downstairs Natalia had seen Olivia talking to Sam and Johnathan through the living room window so she headed back toward the kitchen. Josh was sitting where Lillian had been, Emma was visibly uncomfortable. Frank and Blake had migrated elsewhere. Natalia could hear Josh and Phillip reminiscing about when Marah and Lizzie had been teenagers as she approached the table. Emma mouthed "Help me" to Natalia, to which she responded with an understanding smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," both men looked up mid chuckle, "but I have to pick up Franny from school and I wanted to know if Emma wanted to tag along."

"Sure!" Emma answered immediately and jumped up, hugged her father, and rushed to Natalia's side. She ignored Josh.

"Okay. I will see you soon." She said to Phillip. Josh thanked Natalia again for coming. She nodded and turned to leave. Olivia had made her way inside in the short time she'd been in the kitchen. Natalia frowned. When she stepped outside Johnathan and Sam watched her as she pulled her keys out of her bag, she smirked at them and continued to her car. They didn't return the gesture.

Olivia stood at the window in the guest room that faced the front yard. She watched Emma bounce up and down by Natalia's car, the one Olivia had pushed Natalia to get when she first took over the reins at the Beacon. Natalia unlocked the car and the two drove off. Olivia stared at the place in the driveway they'd just been for a while. She ran her hands through her hair roughly and laid down to rest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews! Your thoughts are noted and greatly appreciated! Be sure to pass this fic on to any fellow Otalia fans.

* * *

_Ava stood in the middle of the farmhouse living room. All the furniture was missing except for the coffee table, the house was in transition but Ava had no idea why. Olivia made her way down the stairs which were missing their rails. Her dark hair was in a messy bun atop her head, dressed in yoga pants and a dark blue tank top._

"_Hey mom, what's so important that I had to come over so quickly?" Olivia smiled at her daughter and pulled her into a soft hug._

"_What's going on?" Ava asked into Olivia's hair._

"_I need to ask you for a favor, but you can't mention it to anyone." Olivia said as she let Ava go._

"_Okay, anything."_

"_I need you to go to work for me at the Beacon." Olivia said as she started to walk into the kitchen._

"_What? Why?" Ava followed her mother._

"_I need someone to watch over Natalia and Emma for me." Olivia instantly regretted the way she worded her request. She remembered saying the exact same thing to Blake just two years before. If ever there was a sentence she could unsay to someone it would be that one._

"_Watch over them? Isn't that your job?" Ava was obviously lost and feared for her mother's health. Olivia poured them each a small glass of sparkling water._

"_We aren't together anymore. She and Emma are going to be living at the hotel for now. I'm not sure about what we're going to be doing about Francesca yet. Cassie is taking a smaller role in the day to day business so I want you to go in and work with Natalia in running it." Olivia leaned against the sink. There was no dinner table so Ava stood in the center of the kitchen, eyes wide as saucers._

"_I-I don't understand. Why aren't you together?"_

_Olivia was trying to be emotionless in this interaction. She didn't want to worry Ava or let her know just how heartbroken she was about Natalia. She cleared her throat. "It doesn't matter why. Will you do this for me?"_

_Ava moved to her mother and sat down the glass. "Of course I will. But can you please tell me what happened?" It had been a week since she last saw Natalia; she didn't know how to say the words. Olivia bowed her head, her throat tight._

"_Mom?"_

_Olivia looked up and tried to smile at Ava, she was sure it came out as more of a grimace. She cleared her throat again. "Cassie walked in on her kissing someone…else." Olivia pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and sighed. Ava gasped and took her mother's hands in her own and said," I'll take care of it. Don't worry."_

It'd been a few days since the funeral and Olivia had had lots of memories come back to her since. Some were of Marah when she'd been married to Josh. Most were of Natalia. She downed the last of her red wine and stood up from the kitchen table. It was around six o'clock and she had plans to meet Josh for dinner. Olivia made her way upstairs. There were empty plates and glasses still strewn about the house but she decided to leave it for the housekeeper. 

* * *

Natalia sat and watched Francesca eat her macaroni and cheese. Emma had gone to a friend's house for the night. It was just Natalia and Francesca in the suite. She looked around the kitchenette thinking of the day Olivia had gotten the new floor plan designs for the remodel she was planning.

"_Natalia!" Olivia waited impatiently on the armchair in the farmhouse living room. It was a Friday afternoon and she'd just come home from the Beacon; she'd called out to the brunette twice already._

"_I'm coming! Hold your horses!" Natalia yelled down the stairs as she set down a box she'd just finished filling with things to take down to the church's upcoming clothing drive. _

_Olivia was hugging Emma and chatting with her about her day at school when Natalia came downstairs. Something about not understanding what her math teacher had gone on about that morning. "Well I'll sit down with you in a bit and see if I can help you out, okay?"_

"_Alright." Emma walked back to the kitchen to continue her homework. Natalia had made her way to the coffee table and sat in front of Olivia. The table creaked under her weight. She thought briefly about how grateful she was that their children had at least one parent that was good at math._

"_So. What's the emergency?" She smiled slyly._

_Olivia leaned forward and kissed Natalia quickly, pulled out large sheets of thick paper, and turned them to show Natalia. "Look what came today." She had an excited glint in her eye. Natalia "oh'd" cheerfully, she looked over the sketches of the Beacon remodel. The planned changes were already known but seeing the pictures made the plans come to life. Olivia unbuttoned her jacket and leaned her head on her hand that was perched on the armrest._

_Natalia looked up. "These are great." Olivia nodded, smiling. "It's a little scary right?" Olivia nodded again against her knuckles. "It is. We haven't made this large of a change since it opened." She paused. "But Bill said we can do the remodel in a way that it isn't too intrusive to the guests. I don't know how but I trust him." Natalia smiled at Olivia happily. She loved seeing Olivia excited about something, whether it be about a Beacon remodel or a family picnic. "That's so great."_

"_I think so, but the Beacon is going to need extra attention once we start the remodel." Olivia looked at Natalia for any sign that she caught on to where she was headed with her statement. There was none._

_For the past eight months or so Olivia had been working on plans to franchise the Beacon. Up until that point all of the initial work could be done from Springfield. But the time had come for Olivia to travel to prospective cities and choose the site for the new hotel. She hadn't told Natalia yet._

"_How do you feel about going back to work?" Olivia asked gently, not wanting to insult her. Natalia's eyes widened. "Do you need help with bills? Did something happen to the car?" Natalia knew Olivia made enough to support the four of them on her own but under pressure she instantly reverted to her severely money conscious ways. Olivia frowned and quickly sat forward, taking Natalia's hands in her own._

"_What? No. I'm going to have to start doing business for the franchise out of town." Natalia pouted. "I know, I'll hate to leave you guys. But I won't be here to run the Beacon on a regular enough basis." Natalia still didn't catch Olivia's train of thought. "I want you to step in for me."_

_Natalia slumped slightly and her mouth fell open. __**Of course that's where she was going with all of this. **__Olivia gave her a smile that seemed to say "We're doing this. I've made up my mind."_

"_I thought we agreed I'd go back to work when Franny goes to school? It was your idea-"_

"_I know it was and we did agree. I'd love to have you just stay here and hold down the fort at home but I didn't plan to be so overwhelmed by trying to franchise and run this guy," she gestured over her shoulder in the general direction of town and the Beacon, "at the same time."_

_Natalia had noticed how Olivia's work days had gotten longer and longer. She took calls at all hours of the day and it'd made her easily irritable. They had had an argument about whether Emma should plant daisies or daffodils in the backyard just two weeks before. She knew Olivia was going to need help, she was just taking too much on. And if she was being honest, she had gotten bored with being home all the time. She loved her kids but it had gotten monotonous; she'd held at least one job, if not more, all of her life. "I don't know."_

"_I don't really trust anyone else to take care of it like I know you would." Natalia nibbled on her bottom lip. It was quiet._

"_I want to keep control in the family if we're going to turn it into a franchise." A crack in Natalia's thin resistance formed when Olivia said "family". It was still like a miracle to her that she'd found Olivia and subsequently found the family she'd always prayed for. And the fierce protection Olivia provided their family with made it hard to see any fault in her idea. It made sense._

"_You can't trust just any shmuck to run the Beacon. It's our livelihood." Olivia furrowed her brow, hoping she'd get the answer she wanted. Natalia nodded very slightly. Olivia rubbed her thumbs across Natalia's knuckles subconsciously. They could hear Emma searching for a snack in the kitchen._

_Natalia took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay."_

_Olivia squealed and took Natalia's face in her hands, she kissed her quickly, over and over._

"_I'm-gonna-need-your help." She said between pecks. Olivia pulled back. "Of course!"_

_Natalia had dark red lipstick across her cheeks and the tip of her nose._

**I should have said no.** Francesca continued eating intently.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry there hasn't been an update sooner. I've had issues writing. If anyone would like to leave a review as to where they'd like to see the story go, I'm all ears.

* * *

Olivia stared at herself in her bathroom mirror. She looked at her hair critically. The last time it'd been that light she was being told she needed a heart transplant. The roots were starting to show, she would need a touch up soon. Whether the lighter hair made her look older had crossed her mind occasionally since getting it done. She had needed a change when she went to the salon but she hadn't known exactly what she wanted. The woman she'd gone to for years had retired a month before so she took the first girl available. Somehow she got talked into going blonde and getting extensions put in. Olivia wasn't ever the kind to put too much effort into her hair but she craved a drastic change, and the girl assured her that the type of extensions she was getting were low maintenance. They of course weren't, but Olivia did ultimately like the way it came out.

It was a few weeks after that that Josh and she had started dating. He liked her new hair.

She reapplied her lipstick that had faded after a day of running errands. Her eye makeup was still intact she observed thankfully. Her slacks and top were hanging on the hook behind the door. She changed quickly. Her high heeled boots pinched a little more than usual, probably from being on her feet all day. She pulled at the edge of her emerald halter blouse. For a split second she saw her mother staring back at her. The doorbell rang.

Olivia reached the door after a moment, Josh offered a smile as a hello. He walked into the living room as Olivia said something about having to grab her purse.

"Where's Sam?" He asked as she reached the top of the stairs.

"I'm not sure, he said something about Farley's." There was a thud. "Oh damn!"

Josh climbed the stairs to see what caused the noise. "Do you need help?"

Olivia exited her bathroom with a towel and dropped it on a dark spot on the carpet. "I dropped my perfume," she said while frowning and stepping aggressively on the towel.

"I'll get you some water." Josh backed out of the room and stepped into the hall bathroom. There was no spray bottle or cup to put water in. He thought to try the master bathroom. The bedroom was empty except for the undressed bed in the corner of the room. Now that he saw the barren room he realized that he hadn't set foot in the room in the time he and Olivia had been together. There was no bottle in that bathroom either. He walked back to Olivia's room.

"I couldn't find anything for the water." Olivia reached over and picked up the towel.

'It's alright. My room will just smell like a department store." She smiled devilishly at Josh and grabbed her bag from her bed. "Alright, let's go." They descended the stairs and she hung the pungent towel on the banister for the housekeeper to clean. The two made their way to Josh's car.


End file.
